Game apparatus.



A. A. SCHRADEB. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1915.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Z SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR ATITORNEY A. A'. SCHRADER.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. H, 1915.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIHHIHIHIHIHII ALBERT A. SOHRADER, OF CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 20 1917,

Application filed August 11, 1915. Serial No. 44,969.

by this invention to produce a dice shaking machine in which the dice shall be shaken and thrown in the full sight of the players or participants of a game, without necessitating, or permitting, either of the players to touch the dice.

It is a further object of this invention to combine in a game apparatus a. variety of dice, the sides of which are colored'in a corresponding manner, together with a machine for tumbling the dice so as to expose various colored sides thereof throughout the progress of the game.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an inclosed casing communicating with a visible, yet inclosed compartment, to mount a platform for reciprocation within the casing and to provide means to control the movement of the platform so that dice placed thereon will be shaken or tumbled within'the visible compartment.

The above and additional objects which will become apparent as this explanatory description proceeds, are accomplished by such means as are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention, as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts Figure 1 is an end view of the dice shaking machine of this invention;

Fig. 2 ma vertical sectional view therethrough, showing the bottom of the machine casing removed;

Fig- 3 i horizontal sectional view through the dice compartment on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 isa similar view through the casing 011 the line 47% of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the means for actuating the dice platform, and

Fig. 6 is a detail of a die which is preferably used in conjunction with my apparatus.

The dice machine includes, as already explained, a casing 10 and a visible compartment 1.1 communicating therewith, together with a platform 12 reciprocable between the compartment and the casing for the tumbling or shaking of dice 13. The walls of the casing 10, which are shown as rectangular in arrangement although not necessarily so are preferably constructed from a suit.- able metal'pressed into the desired shape, one of the end walls being formed with a slot 14; for the reciprocation of the actuating handle 15 for the platform. At their base the casing walls are surrounded on three sides by a beading, 16 of semi-circular cross section, with. convex outer surface as denoted at 17 A slidable bottom 18 closes the. under side of the casing 10, three edges of which are receivable within and guided by the beading 16; the other or fourth edge carries a strip 19 similar exteriorly to the beading 16 and forming the base finish 0n the fourth side of the casing. The strip 19 is-rolled about a wire 20 and secured thereto, the ends of the wire beingturned at right angles to the intermediate portion. and for a suitable distance lie parallel with the sides of the closure 18. These ends are adapted to enter the beading 16 at the sides of the own doubled'edges. The remaining angular.

bight or channel of the S-shaped strips support the sides and end walls 24 of the compartment, such walls being preferably of glass or a similar transparent material.

Spaced corner strips join the abutting edges of the glass walls 2 while a U-shaped rim piece 26 extends around the upper edges of such walls.

The rim strip for oneof' the end walls 24 carries the curled hinged strap 27 for the reception of the hinge pintle 28 of a swinging closure for the compartment which includes the glass panel 29 suitably supported through the medium of angle strips 30 secured to the undersurface of the inclosing frame 31 surrounding the edges of the glass panel 29. The frame has a downwardly turned forward edge or lip 32 that makes tight frictional engagement with the front edge of the compartment structure when closed. l

The platform 12 is of such size as to be freely reciprocable between the compartment 11. and the casing 10, as defined by the inner line of the 5-shaped strip 23 which supports the compartment walls. This platform is preferably'covered with a cloth 33 which not only adds to the appearance of the machine but also serves to deaden any clatter ofthe dice 13 as they are tumbled upon the platform. Secured to the center of the platform 12 is the hollow plunger 34 which rides snugly in a similarly constructed easing 35, this latter being supported rigidly within the casing through the medium of spiders 36. This casing 35 is formed with slots 37 through which projects a pin 38 which extends through the hollow'plunger 34. Between this pin and a pin 39 similarly arranged at the bottom of the case 35, there is interposed the expansible coiled spring i0, which naturally tends to force the platform 12 upwardly after it has been placed under tension and released.

lhe actuating handle previously denoted as a whole for the numeral 15 includes a pair of metallic strips l1 which are bent to oppositely pass the casing 35 and continuing therebeyond are pivotally connected to the lateral extensions 42 .of a hinge clip 43 secured to the wall of the casing-10. The opposite extremities of the joined strips 41 carry a press plate it and the lower edges of the strips are adapted to contact with the upper spring pin 38 in the manner shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The dice preferably employed in connection withthe machine described in the foregoing are desirably provided with colored faces, although it will be obvious that any form of dice such as those employing the usual numerical pips may be utilized and to advantage. The dice are placed upon the platform 12 and the handle 15 is then smartly depressed and released, whence the spring in expanding will force the plun- Qopies of this patent may be obtained for ger 34 and with it the platform 12 so sharply upward as to thoroughly tumble and shake the dice 13. It will be obvious that a game may be played with these dice without the necessity for any of the participants touching or in any manner handling the dice, thus rendering it certain that no tricks f replacing the dice with ones fraudulently weighted can be attempted, although the dice are always open to inspection by the simple expedient of lifting the cover 29.

lVhile in the foregoing, however, there has thus been illust'ated in tie drawin s and described in the specification such' combination and arrangcn'ient of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of this in. 'vention, it is desired. to em 'ihasf'ae the fact that such minor changes in the matters of proportion and degree may be made in later adaptations of this device as shall not alter the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

W hat is claimed is 1. A game apparatus of the type described comprising a casing forming a base, a compartment above the casing having transparent walls and a transparent cover, a strip at the top of said casing and surrounding the same having an upwardly open channel to receive panes of glass that'form the sides of the receptacle, a folded strip extending over the upper edge of said glass panes, and an open frame containing a glass pane pivoted to one side of the receptacle and adapted to frictionally engage the opposite side, a platform at the junction of said casing and receptacle, and means within the casing for imparting vertical movement to said platform.

2. A game apparatus of the type described comprising a closed casing forming the base thereof made of pressed sheet metal, a strip of sheet metal of 5 shape cross section mounted upon the top of said casing and extending around the several sides, transparent panels supported at their lower edges by said strip and connected at their vertical edges to form a closed receptacle, a closure for said. receptacle comprising a frame and a transparent panel, a platform at the junction of said casing and said receptacle, and means for imparting vertical movement to said platform inclesed within said casing and projecting outwardly through a slot in the sides thereof.

In testimony whereof I al'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT A. SCHRADER.

l Vitnesses FRANK lVILLIAMs, EDW. A. KELLER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

